The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.

The mind is like a wild monkey, jumping here and there. But through meditation, we learn to see whatever arises in our mind with more spaciousness and clarity.

When we understand others, we understand ourselves. When we love others, we love ourselves.

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.

The rising and falling of the abdomen is not the main object. The main object is to develop mindfulness, concentration, and insight.

The development of wisdom does not occur in isolation but requires the cultivation of the entire Noble Eightfold Path.

To see directly is to be free of hope and fear. Hope and fear are like a cloud before the sun.

Just as parents care for their children, you should bear in mind the whole universe.

Both formerly and now, it is only suffering that I describe, and the cessation of suffering.

Sleep is the best meditation.

The path to liberation requires both individual effort and the support of the spiritual community.

True happiness is born of letting go of what is unnecessary.

The only thing that we truly have control over is our attitude toward experience.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

To live is enough.

Meditation is not an escape from reality but a way to understand reality as it truly is.

In our struggle for freedom, truth is the only weapon we possess.

The water in the ocean can be rough or calm. It can be clear or murky. But the water itself doesn't mind.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.

You are your own teacher. Looking for teachers can't solve your own doubts. Investigate yourself to find the truth - inside, not outside.

Ethical conduct is not a constraint upon our freedom but a condition of our freedom.

The difference between misery and happiness depends on what we do with our attention.

Be a lamp unto yourself. Work out your liberation with diligence.

The Buddha's teachings are not about abandoning our lives but about bringing the fullness of our attention to our lives.

Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.

When the heart is still, it can be kind. When the mind is still, it can see clearly.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

The mind is the source of all happiness and the source of all suffering.

Faith is not a commodity that you either have or don't have - it is an inner quality that unfolds as we learn to trust our own deepest experience.

Every moment is a fresh beginning. Every breath is a new chance.

The time of the past becomes the present, the time of the present becomes the future, the time of the future becomes the present, and the time of the present becomes the past.

The only reason we don't open our hearts and minds to other people is that they trigger confusion in us that we don't feel brave enough or sane enough to deal with.

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind.